DESTIGMATIZATION OF MENTAL ILLNESS

We know that mental illness is not something that happens to other people. It touches us all.
Why then is mental illness met with so much misunderstanding and fear?

- Tipper Gore

Going to a counselor or therapist when someone’s feeling depressed should be as normal as

going to the doctor when someone has cold. Have you ever wondered why there is such a stigma
around mental health? How many of us have heard people talking about mental pain openly?
We hesitate talking about it as much as we talk about other diseases, but you’ll be terrified to
know that around 350 million people worldwide are battling with depression and other mental
disorders. The main reason behind such a terrifying number is that people are ashamed to seek
help and their family and peer are not much aware of mental illness. Mental illness should be
treated as equal as physical illness. And, family and peer of a person play a significant role in
destigmatizing it.

Mental illness is common and can affect anyone, but still there is a great stigma attached to it.
This stigma creates shame and reluctance in seeking help. Mental illness can become a serious
health condition if not provided with enough treatment. It will eventually start affecting the
entire body of a person. The stigma and discrimination attached to mental illness can worsen the
problems which can lead to delay in seeking help and, it’s recovering. At its worst, it leads to
suicide. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, more than 350 million
people in the world are affected with depression. And out of this huge number, only 1 out of 5
people receive consistent treatment. Close to 8 lakh people commit suicides due to depression.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15-29 years old. Michelle Obama, during a
summit held in Washington DC said, “At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental
illness in this country. Whether the illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it is still an
illness, and there should be no distinction”. Mental illness needs to be accepted and understood
by people to destigmatize it. There is a need of much more openness, transparency and that it is
okay to talk about mental illness. It is not a weakness or a moral shortcoming.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where everyone runs over to sign your cast if you break your
wrist, but when you tell people you're sad, everybody runs the opposite. This is the stigma. We
expect any part of the body, other than our brain, to break down. And this is where the ignorance
comes into the picture. This is pure ignorance which therefore, has created a world that doesn’t
understand depression and mental health. The society needs to understand that the two illnesses
namely mental illness and physical illness are inseparable. Because, the entire human body is
connected and interwoven, the two cannot be treated differently. The brain is an organ just like
any other organ in a human’s body and can be hurt like any other organ. When the brain is ill, the
problem is not only restricted to the brain, but instead affects the whole body and overall
wellness. People suffering from mental illness often resort to substance abuse, self harm and
even suicides. Mental health is as important as physical health.

The family and peer of a person suffering from mental illness play a significant role in
destigmatizing it and the recovery process as much as medicinal help and treatment does. The
family and friends of a person can make a difference. The environment and surroundings in
which a person lives affects his or her health. Depression does not exist in a vacuum. It causes a
ripple effect which affects everybody around the individual. Family and friends often start to feel
helpless when encountered by such a situation because there is lack of knowledge and awareness
regarding mental illness among them. This lack can make the person who is suffering think that
he or she is a burden on them. Educating yourselves regarding mental health issues can lead to
easy recognition of early symptoms of mental illness, early treatment and more understanding
and compassion. Friends and family of the person suffering can be important influences to help
him or her get the treatment and services he or she needs by helping them access mental health
services, by respecting them, assuring them that everything will be okay and refusing to define
them by labels such as crazy.
Glenn Close correctly said, “What mental health need are more sunlight, more candor, and more
unashamed conversation about illnesses that affect not only individuals but their families as
well”. A person is closest to his family and peer and if they are not supportive during the
recovery process, it can worsen a person’s mental health. It is totally wrong to say that mental
illness cannot be treated. People can recover from mental illness. Recovery often depends when
there is someone who can believe in them. This gives a boost to their confidence and they start
believing in themselves. Talking to someone who is suffering from any kind of mental illness
can be of huge help. It can help them to get free from the baggage, the burden and the emotions
which they are battling within themselves. All, we being the family and friends of a person, have
to do is listen to them with open heart rather than trying to fix them or giving them advices of our
own, making them laugh which helps in healing, assuring them that they are incredibly strong
and letting them know that eventually this will get over.

Contrary to destigmatizing and helping people with mental illness, it is assumed that people
suffering from mental disorders are violent, unpredictable and aggressive. Unfortunately,
negative attitudes and beliefs towards them are common nowadays. The stigma attached to
mental health conditions lead to discrimination. They are asked to quit their jobs because they
are not in a position to deal with the stress or even to deal with day to day problems. But, all of
this is totally wrong. People with mental illness are just as productive as other employees.
Moreover, people with mental illness are not themselves violent rather they can become a victim
of violence as they are considered weak and unstable.

In our society, weaknesses of a personality or lack of character are assumed to be the causes of
mental health issues. When a family member or friend has mental health issues, he or she will
never recover. There is no hope for people suffering from mental health conditions. All of these
claims which we hear in the society are totally false. There are various causes, due to which
mental health conditions occur such as biological factors namely genes or a brain injury, life
experiences namely trauma or a history of abuse and family history of mental health conditions.
Personality of a person does not play a role in the mental health issues. It is a myth that people
suffering from mental health problems cannot recover. Although the process of recovery is
exhausting and time-consuming, but there are cases in which people are able to fully recover. It
depends on the treatment a person is receiving and support from his or her family and friends.

Receiving help and proper treatment is the most important thing. But unfortunately, the stigma
keeps people away from seeking help. Mental illness should not be thought of differently. There
is a need in our society to accept mental illness and that it is okay to be not okay in order to
destigmatize the same. Moreover, another thing which we can do to destigmatize mental illness
is educating the children from a early age onwards, so that, they grow up thinking that it is okay
to seek help whether they are physically or mentally ill. The need of the hour is to normalize and
educate people about mental health, so that the stigma that surrounds it ends. When mental
illness will be treated just as other illnesses, more people will have the courage to get help and
better their lives. According to Fred Rogers, “Anything that’s human is mentionable and
anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we talk about our feelings, they
become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.” So, being the responsible humans of
this planet, let’s take a pledge together to ‘Break the Stigma’ surrounding mental illness and start
speaking and educating ourselves about it.